After getting swept by the Indians, it's safe to say the Twinkies are out of it. Oakland's ship is sailing, but may still get in by way of the AL West crown, as they only trail the Angels by two games with another three-game series coming at the end of the season.

It's going to be an intense last couple of weeks, but you can't argue against a 7-game winning streak, so I'm going to go with the Indians.

Cleveland is going to win this thing? Amazing. I think Oakland probably is out of it. They had that two month stretch where everything went right. They had enough hitting to win and Blanton, Harden, Zito, Haren, and even Saarloos were as good as could reasonably be expected but the hole they dug out of was just too big for them to build any traction on top of the standings. I wouldn't count the Yankees out though. The Big Unit has been damned good lately and they have more than enough hitting. If their starters give them seven (which in some cases is a huge if), the offense will provide and Gordon and Riveria will slam the door. If not, that bullpen is too aky to rely on too much.

Just looking at their schedule at the beginning of August, I was convinced that Cleveland would get the wild card. However, it bears noting that with their schedule (only playing three teams after the 20th of August who had winning records) I expected them to be a little further ahead in the race than they are currently.

I just know this thread was set up as a jinx to the Tribe. Anyhow, I can't take anything for granted with this team - they have great pitching, it's just a matter if the offense can show up for the game. None of the games are a gimme, as they face the Oakland, the White Sox, and the Devil Rays, along with KC.

It is going to be a race to the finish between the Tribe and the Yankees, I think. Oakland/LA does scare me, though.

Oakland scares the hell out of me too. If you look at what they have done since June 1st it's amazing. I've been waiting for their young guys to fall on there face, like the Indians did last year, but nope. The good news is they have played poorly at both Jacobs Field and Fenway over the past few years and that's where they are this week. The bad news is I think we are going to have to take 2 out of 3 to get the wild card what with 6 games left against Chicago, we lost last night, and got Zito throwing Wednesday.

How did the Indians only draw 20,000 when they are in first in the Wild Card and playing an Oakland team that is right on their heels? They banged that ballpark out for years, now, the biggest series in years there, they can't even get it half filled.As for the Wild Card, the last weekend could be very interesting if Boston and Chicago both have clinched their respective divisions. Would Boston play hard to knock out the Yankees at Fenway. And, would Chicago lay down against Cleveland to knock out New York and then have to deal with an A.L. West team and having to deal with having to go out West, or do they play hard to knock out the Indians and get the Yankees in the first round.

Originally posted by redsoxnationHow did the Indians only draw 20,000 when they are in first in the Wild Card and playing an Oakland team that is right on their heels? They banged that ballpark out for years, now, the biggest series in years there, they can't even get it half filled.

They don't have that major "superstar" draw. They haven't filled the void left by Jim Thome a couple of years ago. Travis Hafner's a good ballplayer, but he won't be putting asses in seats anytime soon.

Originally posted by redsoxnationHow did the Indians only draw 20,000 when they are in first in the Wild Card and playing an Oakland team that is right on their heels? They banged that ballpark out for years, now, the biggest series in years there, they can't even get it half filled.

That's the million dollar question here. The late 90's was the perfect storm for Cleveland baseball. New Ballpark, winning teams, all-star caliber players at every position, good economy, a rejuvenated downtown, no Browns, bad basketball. Still, you can't justify the pathetic attendance this year.

Simply comes down to the fact this is Browns Town, always has been always will be. Football season ends on Superbowl Sunday, starts back up President's day. Still is an embrasment, people go apeshit over a joke of a franchise that will be lucky to win 5 games this year, a team whose management will kick you out of the stadium for wearing "Pittsburgh Sucks" T-shirt. But ignore one of elite teams in baseball over the past 10 years.

Originally posted by redsoxnationAs for the Wild Card, the last weekend could be very interesting if Boston and Chicago both have clinched their respective divisions.

And here I am, picking Boston to win the AL Wild Card....

After the way this week has gone, it is time for the Red Sox, White Sox, Yankees, Indians, Angels and A's fans to get out the bottles of hard liquor and put away any sharp objects/firearms, because this might be breaking into 6 teams, 4 spots and weird/wacky one game playoff scenarios.

Originally posted by redsoxnationAfter the way this week has gone, it is time for the Red Sox, White Sox, Yankees, Indians, Angels and A's fans to get out the bottles of hard liquor and put away any sharp objects/firearms, because this might be breaking into 6 teams, 4 spots and weird/wacky one game playoff scenarios.

I'm not tossing this out there just to add to your problems, but when do we start talking about the White Sox's wild card prospects? Now that the Tribe took Oakland 2 of 3, I'm thinking that 5 of 6 from the gagging Pale Hose is going to win them the division.

While the Indians play 7 against the Royals, the Sox have 7 with Minnesota, who normally give them fits. And they draw Santana in both series.

Don't be too sure the wild card race won't come down to the White Sox and the Red Sox in the end. As a Cub fan, I know a choke when I see one, and Ozzie's boys look like they've hit the wall. Don't get me wrong, I've been rooting for them to win - but as the lead shrinks more and more, I must admit that I have this whole schadenfreude thing going now.

I'm not tossing this out there just to add to your problems, but when do we start talking about the White Sox's wild card prospects? Now that the Tribe took Oakland 2 of 3, I'm thinking that 5 of 6 from the gagging Pale Hose is going to win them the division.

While the Indians play 7 against the Royals, the Sox have 7 with Minnesota, who normally give them fits. And they draw Santana in both series.

Don't be too sure the wild card race won't come down to the White Sox and the Red Sox in the end. As a Cub fan, I know a choke when I see one, and Ozzie's boys look like they've hit the wall. Don't get me wrong, I've been rooting for them to win - but as the lead shrinks more and more, I must admit that I have this whole schadenfreude thing going now.

Sorry Sox fans.

Imagine the mood in Chicago if somehow, someway, the White Sox manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. It'd definitely be one of the biggest collapses of recent memory. I know Sportscenter was talking about a similar collapse in the 60's and this doesn't seem too far off. So it's not too outrageous to start thinking of the Angels, Indians, Red Sox, and Yankees in the postseason?

I'm not tossing this out there just to add to your problems, but when do we start talking about the White Sox's wild card prospects? Now that the Tribe took Oakland 2 of 3, I'm thinking that 5 of 6 from the gagging Pale Hose is going to win them the division.

While the Indians play 7 against the Royals, the Sox have 7 with Minnesota, who normally give them fits. And they draw Santana in both series.

Don't be too sure the wild card race won't come down to the White Sox and the Red Sox in the end. As a Cub fan, I know a choke when I see one, and Ozzie's boys look like they've hit the wall. Don't get me wrong, I've been rooting for them to win - but as the lead shrinks more and more, I must admit that I have this whole schadenfreude thing going now.

Sorry Sox fans.

Imagine the mood in Chicago if somehow, someway, the White Sox manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. It'd definitely be one of the biggest collapses of recent memory. I know Sportscenter was talking about a similar collapse in the 60's and this doesn't seem too far off. So it's not too outrageous to start thinking of the Angels, Indians, Red Sox, and Yankees in the postseason?

If the Twins had taken 2 out of 3 from Chicago, then I really could see a scenario where the White Sox fans would be singing the theme song to MASH. However, they are 3.5 up on Boston and Cleveland, and 5 up on New York with 2 weeks to go. Considering Boston and New York play each other 3 times, that means one of them has to lose at least 2 games. If the White Sox take 2 out of 6 from Cleveland, they should get into the playoffs. If they take 1 out of 6, they still have a fighting chance, and at worst would likely get a 1 game playoff on October 3rd for either the division or wild card (remember 2 teams tie for the top spot in 1 division while a 2nd place team in the other division has the same record, the 2nd place team in the other division gets the Wild Card because Game 163 counts in the standings and the loser of the playoff game loses the Wild Card by .5 games.) If the White Sox lose all 6 games to Cleveland, White Sox fans will look at what brings life's many changes, and they can take or leave it as they may. Of course, if the Red Sox don't start hitting, the point is moot.

remember 2 teams tie for the top spot in 1 division while a 2nd place team in the other division has the same record, the 2nd place team in the other division gets the Wild Card because Game 163 counts in the standings and the loser of the playoff game loses the Wild Card by .5 games.

They changed this rule a couple years ago, because of that unfairness. The stats count, but the loser of the divisional playoff stills plays the tied for the wild card team in another one game playoff.

In a perfect world, this ends with the Yankees on the outside looking in, and the Indians, Angels, and both Sox teams having a nice, gloriously Jeter-free AL postseason. However, Aaron Fucking Small will probably keep pitching like Jesus, and NYY will get in with room to spare. Why can't the Yankees just save their historical collapses for the regular season and spare us the worry of yet another New York World Series?

Originally posted by It's FalseImagine the mood in Chicago if somehow, someway, the White Sox manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. It'd definitely be one of the biggest collapses of recent memory. I know Sportscenter was talking about a similar collapse in the 60's and this doesn't seem too far off. So it's not too outrageous to start thinking of the Angels, Indians, Red Sox, and Yankees in the postseason?

Don't forget, there is a certain element of Cubs fans who root for the Sox to lose (all Sox fans root for the Cubs to lose. There is no doubt about that). Personally, I'd like to see them win it all. Can't be bad. Gotta be better than the Cards... but....

Like TheOldMan, I have been a Cubs fan for nearly 50 years. We know what a choke smells like. Smells like '69 on the other side of town, Ozzie. The Tribe is your 1969 Mets resurrected with Cliff Lee playing the Role of Tom Terrific and Coco Crisp as Tommie Agee and Grady Sizemore as Cleon Jones. And even though he plays neither 1st nor third, we must assign Jose Hernandez the role of old fart whole played forever, Ed Kranepoole.

I'm taking a short break from the glassy-eyed rocking in the corner I've been doing the last few weeks to say I'm not too worried about not making the playoffs. Yes, Cleveland might take the division. But even if they do, we still have a cushion to take the wild card, as BOS and NY will beat on each other a bit at the end of the season, and realistically those are the only other teams with a chance to take one of the playoff spots we can get. If we even win 5 of our last 14 we'll be at 95 wins. The Yankees would need to go 11-4, the A's 13-0 (just to match), the Angels 12-1, and Boston 9-4 to knock us out at that point.